The aims of BIG are to:
- support scholarly research in bioethics at Ghent University
- educate and inform students, professionals, the public and public policymakers about bioethical issues
- serve as an observatory of developments in bioethics at the regional, national and international level
- serve as an interface between researchers, medical practitioners and ethicists
- facilitate interdisciplinary discussion about ethical and regulatory issues related to bioethics
- contribute to debates on public policy in bioethics
These aims are pursued by conducting original interdisciplinary research resulting in leading edge publications, offering courses, organising seminars, public lectures and international conferences, and assisting in the formulation and development of public policy. The members of BIG write, research and teach on a variety of topics, including the ethics of new reproductive technologies, genetics, stem cell and cloning research, transplantation medicine, ageing in health care decision-making, neuro-enhancement, end-of-life decision making and patenting in biotechnology and health care. In order to facilitate research, BIG has developed collaborative relationships with other research centres. BIG has also secured major research grants in a number of areas including the ethics of stem cell research, end-of-life decision making, neuro-enhancement, and the ethical dimensions of patents in biotechnology.